Earplugs or not

[Yippee38]

Every year there is at least one thread about buying earplugs for the festival. There are always people who don't use them. Here's a site that allows you to measure your hearing loss at high frequencies. It's a bit funky to get it to work, so I just clicked on it an let my system's audio player (.wav file) play it.

http://www.audiocheck.net/audiotests_frequencycheckhigh.php

Dunno if this is appropriate here or not. If not, mods, please put it in the lounge and accept my apologies.

 

[SwordLord]

I ALWAYS wear earplugs to every show. I don't care if that's not "cool" or "metal." I am going to be going to these shows (much to everyone's shagrin I'm sure!) when I'm 60 years old and by God I still want to hear them!

 

[RagePSV]

I just got a pair of the ETY plugs for PP this year and they are amazing. I'll never not wear plugs again.

 

[eppst1]

I got the ETY's also, and yes indeedly, they are awesome! I've worn earplugs to every show I've been to since I was deaf in one ear for 3 days after a Megadeth show many moons ago. I do know that the pre-earplug days have hurt my hearing - I can't hear above a 12kHz range.

 

[johan68]

I wear earplugs at Yngwie and Manowar shows always.... Other times - sometimes.

 

[Akumu]

I also love my Ety plugs! Of course, I left them at the hotel on Kickoff and Fri. Night. I wore them during Sat. night, though, and they were great.

 

[shreddy]

I also love my Ety plugs! Of course, I left them at the hotel on Kickoff and Fri. Night. I wore them during Sat. night, though, and they were great.

I did the same thing and left the venue and went back for them. Wont ever do shows again without them unless the room is at a sane volume.

 

[adaher]

Given the litigous nature of our society, I'm surprised no lawyer has tried to get a class action going against the concert industry. I'm even more surprised that the Bloombergs of the world haven't tried to pass laws keeping the decible level down below 100.

 

[mel_progson]

To all the people with Etymotics, how do you clean those things? I seem to remember ur not sposed to use water or anything?

 

[DuchessOfDork]

I really gotta start wearing earplugs..

Maybe I'll glue spikes to them!

 

[Diamond45]

To all the people with Etymotics, how do you clean those things? I seem to remember ur not sposed to use water or anything?

I use rubbing alcohol to clean them. Seems to work just fine.

 

[Yippee38]

Yeah. Rubbing alcohol works really well.

I'm 45 and I can't hear anything about 15 or 16kHz. However, I've been using ear plugs for a long time, and use them constantly at work. An airport ramp is one of the most audio damaging environments to be in.

 

[euleria]

I'm 45, and can't hear anything above 7500 Hz. That's roughly A8, or nearly an octave above the highest key on a piano, so listening to music is still enjoyable, but I'm a bit more careful now than I was as a teenager. (And I'm all over my own kids to protect their own hearing.)

I use Etymotics when going to concerts now. (Insert barn door joke here.)

I know rock concerts did some damage (thank you Ritchie Blackmore!), but most of the damage was already done by the time I was 18, listening to music as high volume on headphones for hours on end.

 

[Mardoch]

I don't have fancy earplugs, just some CVS ones. But I make damned sure I always have them with my for concerts. In my experience...concerts are so loud that everything is distorted and sounds like crap if you don't have some form of decibel reduction. I already have some tinnitus problems randomly, so that's a huge motivator too.

 

[booB]

Actually, this audio test isn't a clear indicator of hearing damage. A lot of people can't hear high frequencies simply due to genetics. I myself have used earplugs at shows almost all my life, and I can't hear above 16k.

 

[Jasonic]

Furthermore, not all sound conduction is performed through your ear canal. Much of your hearing is conducted through the bones in your head surrounding your ears, which vibrate, sending triggers to your brain stem, thus conducting sound.

Yeah, I have been going to shows for literally 25 years, and NEVER wore ear plugs. I have been in many bands as well, and only sometimes wore earplugs during practices.

VERY bad decision on my part. Whenever I go to shows, my ears literally hurt and feel very heavy. I know I will pay for this dearly one day.

 

[Metal_Camden]

I wear earplugs at Yngwie and Manowar shows always.... Other times - sometimes.

HAHAHAHA

and also if anyone goes to see NILE

 

[SkiBumMSP]

Actually, this audio test isn't a clear indicator of hearing damage. A lot of people can't hear high frequencies simply due to genetics. I myself have used earplugs at shows almost all my life, and I can't hear above 16k.

Using this test, I can't hear above 16k (will be 41 as of this Monday). However, I also wonder if these speakers that I got attached to this PC simply are not able to reproduce frequencies that high either. That is also something to keep in mind when trying these informal hearing test - your playback equipment may just simply not be able to reproduce those frequencies. I guess the only way to be absolutely sure is to see a hearing specialist.

 

[SeaStorm]

I started to hear it at 17kHz. Very interesting.

I didn't wear earplugs much prior to 2000 (when I was 27). Then I went to Maiden's Brave New World tour and stood about 25 feet from the left hand side of the stage. It was on a Sunday night and my left ear rang very loudly until FRIDAY! I was so freaked out that whole week - I've never gone earplug-less again. Well, I always bring them, but once in a great while the sound is at a very reasonable level and I don't need them (e.g. Roger Waters' The Wall this last week).

 

[Pellaz]

I don't have fancy earplugs, just some CVS ones. But I make damned sure I always have them with my for concerts. In my experience...concerts are so loud that everything is distorted and sounds like crap if you don't have some form of decibel reduction.

Same here...in fact, I buy the big bag of barrel-shaped earplugs* at CVS and then share them with friends as needed. I keep some in my car in reserve and some at the house and in my "overnight" backpack.
I've tried the conical ones, but they always start slipping out of my ears during the night, over and over....